Bill Snyder is a bit of a legend around Kansas. He’s not impressive because of his stature; he’s a smaller, older gentleman with snow-white hair and piercing eyes. He’s impressive because of what he’s done: he took the Kansas State University Wildcats from rock bottom to success on the football field.
He’s a master leader and coach. Everyone wants to know what it took to take one of the worst college football teams and turn them completely around.
The answer is surprisingly simple.
Snyder created an atmosphere where even the smallest, most mundane tasks were done at 100%.
“Do what you’re supposed to do, do it right, do it every time.”
From there, the football team was slowly built up, year after year. I don’t know much about sports, but I love me a good underdog-makes-it-to-the-top story. And that’s certainly the story of Bill Snyder and his Wildcats.
What if that’s what each of us did, every day? What we are supposed to do, the right way, every time? Even in the smallest of actions -- how would that change how we live? I know for me, it’s easy to get caught in the rat race of chasing the next “big” thing, of wishing my life were in a different place. When I was in high school, I wanted to be in college. Now that I’m in college, I’m looking to the next place -- my career.
It’s important to plan ahead and have goals (believe me, I love goals). But if our focus is always on what’s to come, we miss what’s right in front of us.
So, I challenge all of us to pay attention to the task in front of us. Even if it’s not where we want to be. Even if it’s not what we want to be doing. It might surprise you what comes of living your everyday life well.
